Grand National Roadster Show

The Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS, a.k.a. Oakland Roadster Show),[1] started in 1949, is one of the oldest and longest continuously operating exhibitions of custom vehicles in the United States.

History

In 1949, while Al Slonaker was preparing for his first automobile show at the Oakland Exposition, an Oakland, CA area hot rod club convinced him to exhibit ten of this cars at the show.[2] The next year, Slonaker decided to focus on just the hot rods but concerned over press, it was instead called the "Roadster Show."[2]

In 1967, the show moved to the Oakland Coliseum[3] From 1998 until 2003, it was held at a variety of other San Francisco Bay Area venue.[4] Starting in 2004, it operated in Pomona, California, at the Fairplex.[1][4]

The 2016 show had a drop in vehicles showing due to the presence of the Detroit Autorama's Ridler Award (cars could not enter both competitions); as such, the competition was expanded to allow past entrants and even past winners.[5]

Award

Since 1950, the grand prize award at the show is the "America's Most Beautiful Roadster" or (AMBR) award.[1][5] It is a 9-foot "megatrophy" that engraved the winner's name on it.[6][7]

America's Best Competition Car Award

From 1957 until 1971, there was a separate "America's Best Competition Car Award" given out at the show.[8]

Further reading

References

  1. 1 2 3 Doeden, Matt (2007). Custom Cars. LernerClassroom. p. 28. ISBN 0822590123.
  2. 1 2 Bertilsson, Bo (1999). Classic Hot Rods. MotorBooks International. p. 95.
  3. ↑ Bertilsson, Bo (1999). Classic Hot Rods. MotorBooks International. p. 97.
  4. 1 2 Breitenstein, Jeff (2004). Ultimate Hot Rod Dictionary: A-Bombs to Zoomies. MotorBooks International. p. 145.
  5. 1 2 Vaughn, Mark (January 29, 2016). "Who’s going to win the 2016 Grand National Roadster Show?". AutoWeek.
  6. ↑ Bertilsson, Bo (1999). Classic Hot Rods. MotorBooks International. pp. 95–96.
  7. ↑ Breitenstein, Jeff (2004). Ultimate Hot Rod Dictionary: A-Bombs to Zoomies. MotorBooks International. p. 24.
  8. ↑ "The History of the Grand National Roadster Show". Grand National Roadster Show. Retrieved 2016-04-23.
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